Weingut Eymann Cuvée No. 418 Réserve Extra Brut Bio white

Weingut Eymann Cuvée No. 418 Réserve Extra Brut Bio is a seriously crafted German sparkling wine that shows just how far Pfalz Sekt has come. Made from Burgundian varieties and aged extensively on the lees, it offers the finesse and structure you’d expect from top traditional-method sparkling wines. Certified organic and biodynamically farmed, it’s a precise, bone‑dry style for those who value purity, detail and craftsmanship in the glass.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this Extra Brut appears a pale, luminous straw with fine, persistent bubbles and a delicate mousse that speaks to its long lees aging. The nose is subtly yeasty at first, opening into precise aromas of light yellow fruits—pear, yellow apple and mirabelle—alongside lemon zest, white flowers, blanched almonds and a hint of brioche and biscuit from the prolonged time on the lees. On the palate, it is dry and taut, with the very low dosage (1.6 g/l) allowing the wine’s 6.6 g/l of acidity and mineral backbone to really shine. The white‑pressed Spätburgunder brings structure and a gentle, chalky grip, while the Chardonnay contributes elegance and length. Flavors of citrus, green and yellow orchard fruits, a touch of stone fruit, toasted nuts and a fine, creamy autolytic note carry through to a long, linear, saline finish. Thanks to the combination of reserve wines and extended lees aging, it already drinks beautifully on release, yet it has the tension and concentration to evolve positively for several years in bottle, gaining more nutty, brioche‑like complexity with time.

Production
The Cuvée No. 418 is rooted in the diverse soils of the Pfalz, where Weingut Eymann farms its vineyards organically and biodynamically, encouraging deep root systems and healthy, living soils. The cuvée is composed of 62% white‑pressed Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and 38% Chardonnay, with the base wine coming primarily from the 2018 vintage, complemented by smaller portions of reserve wines from 2015, 2016 and 2017. Grapes are hand‑harvested at carefully judged ripeness to ensure vibrant acidity and moderate potential alcohol, ideal for traditional‑method sparkling. The organically and biodynamically grown base wines are spontaneously fermented with native yeasts in small wooden barrels and then matured on the lees for about a year, adding texture and depth. After tirage, the wine undergoes a second fermentation in bottle and then rests on the lees for a full five years before disgorgement in September 2024. A very low dosage of 1.6 g/l is added at disgorgement, preserving the wine’s extra‑brut profile and allowing the character of the Pfalz terroir and long élevage to come through clearly.

Food & Serving
This is a gastronomic sparkling wine that shines at the table. Its precision and dryness make it a natural match for oysters, scallop carpaccio, sashimi and other delicate raw seafood, while the subtle autolytic richness pairs beautifully with lobster, crab, ceviche or classic dishes like sole meunière. It also works well with soft cheeses (Brie, Camembert), lightly aged goat’s cheese, roasted poultry, veal tartare or refined vegetable dishes such as asparagus, artichoke risotto or roasted root vegetables with herbal butter. Serve well chilled, ideally around 8–10 °C, in a white wine or tulip‑shaped sparkling glass to let the aromas unfurl. A brief, gentle aeration in the glass is usually sufficient; decanting is not necessary, but opening the bottle 10–15 minutes before serving can help the wine’s more subtle layers emerge.

Producer
Weingut Eymann is a family estate in the Pfalz that has steadily built a reputation as one of Germany’s most thoughtful and quality‑driven producers, particularly for biodynamic farming and serious, traditional‑method Sekt. The estate has been working organically for many years and has embraced biodynamic principles to bring greater vitality and expression to its vineyards. Within the dynamic Pfalz region—long recognized for its excellent conditions for Pinot varieties—Eymann stands out for combining Burgundian inspiration with German precision, especially in its sparkling wine program. Vincent Eymann’s elaborately crafted Sekte are now counted among the leading examples in the German sparkling wine scene, regularly drawing attention from sommeliers and critics for their depth, finesse and long lees aging, and for helping to redefine what German Sekt can be at the highest level.